This memoir of James Stavridis' two years in command of the destroyer USS Barry reveals the human side of what it is like to be in charge of a warship—for the first time and in the midst of international crisis. From Haiti to the Balkans to the Arabian Gulf<, the Barry was involved in operations throughout the world during his 1993–1995 tour. Drawing on daily journals he kept for the entire period, the author reveals the complex nature of those deployments in a "real time" context and describes life on board the Barry and liberty ashore for sailors and officers alike.\\ With all the joy, doubt, self-examination, hope, and fear of a first command, he offers an honest examination of his experience from the bridge to help readers grasp the true nature of command at sea. The window he provides into the personal lives of the crew illuminates not only their hard work in a ship that spent more than 70 percent of its time underway, but also the sacrifices of their families ashore. Stavridis credits his able crew for the many awards the Barry won while he was captain, including the Battenberg Cup for top ship in the Atlantic Fleet. Naval aficionados who like seagoing fiction will be attracted to the book, as will those fascinated by life at sea. Officers from all the services, especially surface warfare naval officers aspiring to command, will find these lessons of a first command by one of the Navy's most respected admirals both entertaining and instructive.
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Destroyer Captain
Lessons of a First Command
Available Formats: Softcover
The Purge of Thirtieth Division
The Purge of the Thirtieth Division is the only known account by any of the eighteen National Guard division commanders mobilized in 1940 and 1941. Russell’s memoir provides not only a first-hand look into the training of National Guard units in preparation for World War II, but also offers a scathing indictment of the Army high command for unfair treatment ...
Available Formats: Softcover
"The Battle for Leyte, 1944"
"Allied and Japanese Plans, Preparations, and Execution"
One of the largest and most complex military efforts ever undertaken, the Leyte Operation was the Allies’ first and most important major combined operation to liberate the Philippine archipelago. The stakes were high: a successful landing at Leyte was critical to a subsequent assault on Luzon and total control of the Philippines. If Japan lost the Philippines, its supply of ...
Available Formats: Hardcover | Softcover
"From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow, Volume IV"
"1917, Year of Crisis"
The five volumes that constitute Arthur Marder’s From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow represented arguably the finest contribution to the literature of naval history since Alfred Mahan. A J P Taylor wrote that ‘his naval history has a unique fascination. To unrivalled mastery of sources he adds a gift of simple narrative . . . He is beyond praise, as ...
Available Formats: Softcover
"From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow, Volume V"
"Victory and Aftermath, January 1918-June 1919"
The five volumes that constitute Arthur Marder’s From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow represented arguably the finest contribution to the literature of naval history since Alfred Mahan. A J P Taylor wrote that "his naval history has a unique fascination. To unrivaled mastery of sources he adds a gift of simple narrative...He is beyond praise, as he is beyond cavil." ...
Available Formats: Softcover